The Fun Way or Parker Hates to Ask for Things
by crearealidad
Summary: It just doesn't occur to Parker to ask. She knows they wouldn't be surprised, but that doesn't mean she wants to be caught.


No spoilers here that I can think of. Inspired by the prompt – Leverage any/any, out of clean underwear (bonus if they borrow/steal some from someone else)

Prompt from comment-fic on LJ

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><p>There's a six inch ledge between the windows and the hotel rooms were a measly ten feet across. Certainly, the windows were latched, but they were hardly tamper proof. Loose frame and a small catch, it would only take a quick tilt of the pane to spring it open. The thief momentarily eyed her harness, the nylon still dripping with soggy pond water. Free climbing it was.<p>

Parker had packed light for the job – only two outfits and her climbing outfit - all of which had been soaked in her pack when the target had forced her to take cover in a slimy pond. A quick shower had remedied the stink of the water and Sophie had kindly handed over a soft pink sweater and a pair of slacks, but both would be impractical for this. The building was built with rough, exposed brick and the clothes would catch and be ruined.

Decided, she peeled off the sweater; let the slacks drop to the ground. Reaching for the nightstand, she grabbed the elastic hair tie there and swept her still damp blond hair up to the back of her head, knotting it into a quick bun to keep it from distracting her. It was a decidedly windy night and she was going to need her concentration if she was going to get this done. She considered removing her com for a moment, but Sophie was working on getting into the manager's office and would be reporting back soon.

Almost as an afterthought, she stepped into the bathroom, turning on the shower once more, just in case anyone came to visit while she was gone. With one last sweep of her room, she turned to the window, ready to begin her mission.

Stepping up to the window, she unlatched it, she hopped easily onto the ledge, the cool air on her bare skin immediately sending the cue to allow her senses to take over. On tip toe, she eased to her feet, spinning against the rough concrete window ledge to press against the exterior wall. Once steadied, she breathed in the cool damp air. Autumn. The sun was barely beneath the skyline, silhouetting the gathering clouds in a grayish-purple light.

In spite of the incoming storm, the wind only lazily licked across her skin, bringing with it the smell of the city below. Car exhaust, coal, with a slight hint of some nearby restaurant seemed familiar to her senses, allowing her to relax as she turned her eyes to map out her climb. Each floor had two stone ledges. A heavier one between each floor made of carved stone, each extending perhaps an additional eight inches from the building's facade. The secondary ledge followed the underside of the windows. It was only the height of a standard brick, but the six inches of clearance she'd eyed from the room seemed consistent on the floor above. The trickiest part would be scaling to the next floor. It was just shy of five feet and it would be a stretch to scale it without her harness. But as she leaned into the crackled brick surface, she knew she could make it.

Clinging with her fingertips, she slid along the ledge, the scratch of the brick against her breasts and the balls of her feet assuring her of her stability.

The first window was covered in drapes, allowing her to ease past it quickly, smiling at the reflection of the city behind her. Below, nearly fifteen floors separated her from the ground, leaving only the twinkling of the evening skyline reflected in the glass as she moved on to her target.

Exhilarated as the wind began to pick up, she pressed more firmly against the brick, her gaze swept upward, her heart racing as watched a figure in the window above sliding open the window, nothing more than a flicker of the light changing and fingers hooking against the frame. A smile spread across her face. "You never make it this easy, Sophie," she whispered to herself.

She reached above her, fingers taking hold of the larger stone ledge which separated one floor from the next. They caught, the smoother stone feeling colder and more worn as she pulled herself up, toes curling into the bricks as she reached higher still, grabbing hold of the next window ledge. It was barely enough traction and her body swayed recklessly for a moment as she closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of the stone. There was a gap now, between her stomach and the brick, the wind swirling between them as she held her breath, steadying her weight on the weathered stone until she could pull herself upward. As she settled against the wall, her fingers tingled with the strain, aching as she brought her weight back to her toes on the narrow ledge beside the window.

Satisfied with her weight distribution, she let out a breath, careful to not to allow the sound to carry in through the open window. Carefully, she leaned over, hearing no movement from the room, and peered in to find Sophie near the door, her back turned to the window. Easing back, she listened as Sophie spoke quietly to someone at the door, then to the soft snick of the bathroom door closing behind her.

With one brief glance to confirm that Sophie had entered the hotel bathroom, Parker stepped into the open window frame, silently stepping barefoot down into the room, her skin immediately warmed by the softly lit room. On the bed, Sophie's suitcase was unzipped. Most of her clothes had been hung neatly in the closet, but within, there remained a neat stack of panties, several bras, and a few delicate pairs of nylons. She only needed one pair. One would do.

Parker carefully touched the lacy blue pair on top and sneered at the impracticality. Leafing through, she found one pair that was made of a cotton-synthetic blend, in a basic brief cut. Quickly extracting them from the pile, she slipped them on. She almost giggled at the comfortable softness. These would certainly make the chaffing seam of Sophie's slacks much more comfortable.

The return was easier. Joy fueled her easy decent from Sophie's window, her fingers catching easily as she dropped from one ledge to the next. Sliding back across the window ledge on her floor, she found that her neighbor now had the blinds pulled ajar. The move halted her and she leaned to look in on Hardison. He was bent over his laptop, his back towards her but sitting only an arms length away from the window. Taking a few steps back, she took in a deep breath, trying to still the adrenaline that was sending her heart racing. She watched lines of code zip by on his screen, feeling the air getting colder against her skin as she waited. His orange soda bottle was nearly empty, but she knew he likely had a cooler resting at his feet as he worked, so that would not provide her the opportunity to slip past.

Suddenly, her earbud crackled to life and she heard Hardison hiss, "Parker?"

The sound startled her and she wavered on her toes, curling them into the brick to steady herself. "Yeah?" she replied, afraid to speak at more than a whisper.

"Where you at, girl? Sophie located the safe in the manager's office. I've got some schematics for you." She watched him take the last swig from his orange soda, turning in towards the room, reaching for another. He had to lean nearly out of the chair and she closed her eyes, taking what time she had and crossed the span of his window just as she heard the sound of the bottle opening through the open com. "You hear me?" he asked, "Parker?"

She dove with a roll into her room, ignoring him as she scooped up the sweater, tugging it over her head and walking into the pants as she ducked into the bathroom, shutting down the shower with a quick twist of the knob. Before he could repeat himself again, she fastened the button on her slacks and knocked at on adjoining door to his room, as satisfied smile spreading across her lips.

"I'm right here, Hardison," she called, hearing him rise from his chair as she tugged her hair out of the bun, letting it fall loose around her shoulders. The chill of the night air swept into her room as he opened the door, then stepped aside to allow her to enter. "I just had to wash off the pond scum," she explained, stepping past him.


End file.
